Omar is 19 and is a degree apprentice at EY in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, working as a management accountant. Part of our Bitesize world of work series.
Hi. My name's Omar. I'm 19 and I'm a degree apprentice at EY, based in Newcastle Upon Tyne.
As part of the Chartered Management Degree Apprenticeship, I get the chance to rotate roles in different departments. Currently, I'm on an anti-money laundering project. Anti-money laundering involves investigating individuals and companies to check if they're using their funds in an illegal way. I carry out most of my work digitally, using a computer. With the help of the bank, I'm able to access information on the customer and look through their account activity checking for suspicious behaviours.
Some of the skills that I use daily are team work, as our project requires us to work in groups and we're able to help and support each other. Communication is also key as we have to adapt the way we speak when talking to different people, from clients, project leaders, to our other colleagues as well. Time management is also essential as we need to hit project targets, as well as balancing other out of office commitments. I also want to ensure I produce my university assignments to a high standard.
Growing up, I always wanted to be a doctor. However, after studying my A-levels in Maths, Business and Economics, and really enjoying the theory of business, I decided to pursue a career in the finance industry instead. Some of the benefits of the degree apprenticeship involve actually getting a degree, a salary and a qualification as well as long-term job security. Initially, when I told my parents I wanted to do an apprenticeship, they were a bit worried as they thought I really needed a degree to be successful. However, having explained that I get a degree without any of the university debt, they were very supportive of this choice. Aside from getting my degree paid for, some of the other benefits that drew me in was the status of working at a big accountancy firm and also the opportunity to rotate in lots of different departments before deciding which sector I'd like to specialise in.
A large part of my character is actually my training in martial arts and I train six times a week. I've got black belt in kung-fu and taekwondo and also do MMA on the side representing the university. I'm able to implement a lot of the skills from my martial arts into the workplace, including my perseverance, my competitiveness to be the best and also my resilience.
The degree apprenticeship has been absolutely fantastic and for me it was definitely the right choice.
Anti-money laundering work involves investigating individuals and companies to check if they're using their funds in an illegal way.
Omar is on a chartered management degree apprenticeship. He gets the chance to train on the job and gain experience on different projects
Omar is currently working on an anti-money laundering project. This involves investigating individuals and companies to check if they're using their funds in an illegal way. Omar works on a computer and checks customers' accounts for suspicious activity
Teamwork is important in Omar's job, as well as communication and time-management - especially as he also has university assignments to complete
As part of his apprenticeship, he will gain an honours degree and will then be able to choose which professional qualification he studies and wants to specialise in. This might be anti-money laundering or cyber security, for example.
When Omar completes his apprenticeship, he will have completed rotations on different projects, giving him the opportunity to specialise in an area of his choice and build further responsibility. If you're exploring the accountancy sector more broadly too, you might be interested in pursuing a career as a management accountant. Management accountants look after a company's finances and find ways to improve profitability.
What to expect if you want to be a management accountant
- Management accountant average salary: £22,000 to £55,000 per year
- Management accountant typical working hours: Average 37 to 39 hours per week
What qualifications do you need to be a management accountant?
You could get into this role via a university course, an apprenticeship, or by studying for accredited accountancy qualifications via accountancy bodies whilst working in another role. For a degree or higher or degree apprenticeship, you'll usually need A-levels, or equivalent. Alternatives to A-levels include taking a T-level in Accounting (England-only), which is equivalent to three A-levels. Check with your course provider which alternative qualifications they accept.
Sources: LMI for All, National Careers Service, GOV.UK
This information is a guide and is constantly changing. Please check the National Careers Service website for the latest information and all the qualifications needed and the GOV.UK website for more on T-levels.
For careers advice in all parts of the UK visit: National Careers Service (England), nidirect (Northern Ireland), My World of Work (Scotland) and Careers Wales (Wales).
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